The Universalist. [volume] (Chicago [Ill.]) 1884-1897, 1887-12-03

lugly uleu Iue mOSC lgnOmln1OuS 0eatn,
even death on a cross. And because of
this, therefore, God highly exalted
him, and gave to him the name which
is above every other name that in the
name of Jesus every knee should bend,
of celestial, and of terrestrial, and of
subterranean beings, and every tongue
give praise that Jesus Christ is Lord to
the glory of God the Father
We give this passage literal render
ing, for the real sentiment Of Paul is
sadly obscured in the common version,
in which we read that every knee, of
things in heaven, and on earth, and
under the earth shall bend, and every
tongue confess that Jesus Christ is
Lord" By giving the neuter word,
''things," the force of Paul's words is
much weakened, inasmuch as the mas
culine in the Greek demands the word
"beings," while confess" is inadequate,
as confession might be extorted unwill-
ingly; but to ''give praise' means to
worship.
That this is the correct view we cite
eminent authority. Says MacKnight:
"'That at the name of Jesus, every knee
should bow Of things in heaven; the
angelic host must do honor to him as
Saviour; and of things on earth, men
must do the same and of things under
the earth, all who are in the state of the
dead must do this" Barnes SIN the
great divisions here specified,-of those
in heaven, on earth, and under the
earth-the apostle intends, doubtless,
to denote the universe" Lange: cit
comprises the entire realm of worship
ing creatures. Ton Epouranion are the
angels; Ton Epigeion, men in the
earth; Ton Katochthonion the dead
in hades. The words must not be taken
as neuter''
No possible combination of terms
could more clearly describe the worship
of universal being,-of all SOULS than
this. 1t declares that worship will one
day be offered by all in celestial, terres-
trial, and internal realms, by all heav-
emily, earthly and hadean beings. And
it is not mere confession, but, as in
Romans xiv. H., the word rendered
CONFESS" should be, "give praise" and
as the praise is to give glory to God as
Father, it is impossible to understand
the language as meaning less than uni
versal obedience and worship. The
comments of Stuart are to the point:
What can be meant by things in heaven,
!. e., beings in heaven bowling the knee
to Jesus, if spiritual worship be not
meant? What other worship can heaven
render? And if the worship of Christ
in heaven be spiritual, should not that
of others, who ought to be united with
them, be spiritual also? Things in
heaven, earth, and under the earth, is
common periphrasis of the Hebrew and
New Testament writer's, for the uni
verse;"
In the margin of Roman xiv. IL the
Revision comedies that the word here
rendered, Confess" means to give
praise, and can we imagine any other
form of phraseology that more undeni-
niably announces voluntary, universal
obedience and worship than this; the
knees bending. and the tongues giving
praise to the Lordship of Jesus, in a
way to promote the glory of God as
Father,-his paternal sway and domin-
ion,-of all heavenly, earthly and SUBJ
terranean beings, that is all the dead
as well as all the living
Follow this magnificent flight from
the exalted height whence it starts, to
the depths of humiliation it describes,
whose vast extent the Son of God ira
verseG, and mark it's returning curve,
and the divine status quo that ends the
completed journey, and gives to each
thought its full weight and emphasis
"Christ Jesus, existing in the form
of God, did not aspire to equality with
God, but Invested him self, taking the
form of slave, becoming in the like
ness of men, and being found fashioned
as man, he BUNDLED himself, becom-
ing obedient to death, even death on
cross, therefore God highly exalted
him, and gave to him the name that is
above every other name, that in the
name of Jesus every knee should bend,
of heavenly, and of earthly, and of sub
terranean beings, and every tongue give
praise that Jesus Christ is Lord to the
glory of God the Father"
When all these shall be thus employ
ed, will not worship of God through
Jesus Christ be universal ]. VIII.